Wheelman (Xbox 360)

Graphics

Wheelman might not be the best looking game but the frame rate is constant and it does benefit from installing to the HD. There is very little pop up and pop in and the game engine delivers high speed thrills aplenty. The character of Milo Burik is a close copy of Vin Diesel and whilst not as good as the job Starbreeze has done in Riddick, the developers should be proud that they managed to capture Vin's likeness for the game.

There's a certain plastic look to the character graphics now and then, yet it does not detract from the game. The environments are beautifully done and Barcelona has been created in game really well. There are scores of breakables, shop windows and tables/chairs to smash through and lots of pedestrians to hassle (since you don't actually kill them - this isn't GTA) as they dive out of the way etc. Lighting and texturing is a solid job with no graphical errors at all, no tearing or dodgy texturing.

Animations

The animations for the characters, the pedestrians and the various movements and so forth are done really well. Wheelman has character and Milo isn't just a static model, the lip synching is good and the way that the characters move and react especially in terms to gun combat means that the gun fights are just as rewarding as the driving in the game. Airjacking is one of my favourite animations and I'm reminded of the game Just Cause (which I adored) every time I leap from car to car, or car to bike.

Physics

From explosions, gun fights, car combat and smashing things to bits, Wheelman has a solid physics engine that delivers Hollywood style movie action right from the start. The vehicle handling might feel loose to begin with but the game isn't meant to be a realistic one. There are no real gripes from me here; the ott Hollywood physics of the crashes are enough to have me grinning like hell whenever I smash into something.

AI

The enemy AI is pretty good, they can do a few dumb things and they sometimes do seem to lose it in a fight. Yet for the most part they'll push you hard and it keeps the pressure on, using all the dirty vehicle melee tricks that they know to make some of the most dramatic chases in a game yet.

Sound

A good solid sound design, the guns have a nice audio to them, so do the cars. There are no gripes here at all.

Music

Wheelman has GTA-style radio stations and lots of cool music, not to mention the actual game music is pretty slick as well. It works for me and it's nice to see a mix of rock, classical and other genres on the radio in the game.

Voice/Dialogue

Vin Diesel has a distinctive voice, I always think of him as Riddick or his character from Fast and the Furious. When I sat down to play as Milo though I spotted that he's actually toned back his Riddick style performance and Milo feels a separate character. Vin delivers the lines with his trademark action-tough guy feel and does justice to the part. The rest of the cast have a mixed bag of performances, there are some really good solid takes there and then there are some cringe-worthy deliveries that made me wince a little. Accents are a funny thing to replicate so I can't complain too bitterly and I'm not going to mark the game down for that.

The dialogue is sharply written, it suits the character of Milo and the various one liners through the twisted/turning story match Milo's character perfectly. Vin's dry delivery adds to it in many ways. It wouldn't work with any other actor. The writers have done a great job on the script and the story; it's definitely a Hollywood Action Blockbuster feel. John Zuur Platten, Flint Dille and the other writers have taken their time to work on this and again it shows. It's not going to go down in history as the greatest story or script ever told: it is going to go down as a solid story with good characterisation and competent writing.

Multiplayer

There is none, it's strictly a single player game regardless of what the box might say.

The final Vroom

I'm going to say it again, it's not GTA and it's not trying to be GTA. It's got more in common with Burnout, Pursuit Force and Driver than GTA and the game has a definite big action feel to it. The use of the camera to cut to crashes and smashes heightens the action and the on foot combat is just as fun as being in the cars or on a bike. With a satisfyingly simple mechanic for all of these elements, the game lets you concentrate on the action and just having fun. A true Hollywood action game that rivals the scenes found in the Transporter, if you like that kind of twist to your driving you can do no wrong with Vin Diesel's: Wheelman.

The missions are fun and there are a couple of really great moments when you have to scare a guy, he's hanging onto the roof of your car and you're going 100mph in the wrong lane. That's what fun games are made of!

Now, for me... back to putting my pedal to the metal in some of these side missions!